


Come Little Children

by booksNtea



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: Fake AH Crew, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-20
Updated: 2018-09-20
Packaged: 2019-07-14 22:08:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,522
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16049540
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/booksNtea/pseuds/booksNtea
Summary: During a citywide blackout the crew ponders a simple question:  Why Los Santos?Rated for mild language.





	Come Little Children

**Author's Note:**

> Wrote this at work. Please be kind to any grammar issues.

The Kingpin's hand slammed down in emphasis, "That's when Michael blows the charges and we esc-" The rest of  Geoff's carefully prepared speech for the finale of the next heist was cut off as the room plunged into darkness.  
"What the hell?"  
"Wot? I can't bloody well see!"

Someone raised the blinds of the window in the planning room allowing the moonlight to illuminate the Fake AH Crew. Jack stood from her chair to inspect the city below. "Shit. The whole city's out."

Grunts and squeals preluded Jack being pushed to the side in favor of three lads scrambing to see for themselves. Ryan scoffed at their antics from his place to the side of the large window. Geoff just groaned into his hands knowing he would not be able to get anyone back on track while the city was in a blackout.

Gavin began whispering devilish ideas to the two beside him. Geoff opened his mouth to remind them they were supposed to be planning not galavanting off to cause chaos, only for his phone to ping.  
Everyone's attention was back on the crime boss as the light from his phone lit up his face. "It's from Elyse. It just says, 'Sorry.'"

Jack retook her seat and hummed, "Bruce did mention FunHaus was planning something for this week."

"But did it have involve a city wide blackout? " Jeremy complained. Normally Geoff would have something sarcastic to shoot back but right now he was just happy the brawler was away from Gavin and his dangerous suggestions. The Brit in question plopped down in a chair mumbling something about Funhaus and destroying property and no fun. Honestly Geoff did not care as long as he did not need to send Steffie to bail anyone out tonight.

The third miscreant stretched his arms and commented, "I feel bad for Elyse. She's always apologizing and covering for those guys."

"Yes Michael. A thankless job that sounds all too familiar." Jack groused at the curly red head. Ryan gave her shoulder a quick squeeze but her comment fell on deaf ears as the demolitions expert's fellow troublemakers picked up the conversation.

Jeremy chimed in, "She's Canadian. Doesn't that automatically make her too nice to be part of a criminal empire?"

"Nah," Gavin flapped his hand. "There are good reasons for not letting her and Lindsay or even her and Barbara work together unsupervised."

"The real question is what's she doing here in Los Santos. She had all of Canada. Why come to this dump?" Michael wondered.

"Isn't that a question for all of us?" Geoff butted in. "None of us are from here. Even if we couldn't stay home, with all of the crime ridden cities why Los Santos?"

"It is definitely something to ponder. Did we make the choice or did it choose us?" Jack leaned back. "I was eighteen. Scared, confused, and running away from home. I stole a piece of crap car and just drove. The car finally broke down just before the exit to the city. Smoke poured from the engine, I think a hubcap if not a tire came off, and I just sat there. I don't know how long I was there but an elderly lady knocked on my window. She offered to take me to the closest mechanic in the city. I agreed because I had nothing else going. True to her word she dropped me off at the closest mechanic, a plane mechanic. Worked there until Geoff and I hit it big." When she finished with a slight chuckle Ryan once again squeezed her shoulder. The rest of the crew had settled back into their seats while she spoke.

After a few minutes of silence Gavin was the first to speak. He had his chin propped up by his fists, one on top another on the table. "A hacking job went bad. Real bad. Had MI6 and a couple of Firms* on my tail. Decided to make a break for America. I had a passport and a little bit of hacking at the airport would get a ticket. I logged into the system only  to be grabbed and pulled into a hallway by some bird. I was in a panic fearing the worst only for her to ask if I needed to get America. Said she had an extra ticket if I had a passport and could act like her step-brother. I took the chance and next thing I know I'm in Los Santos."

Geoff stroked his fingers through his thickening beard. "If we go by the timeframe you told us when you first picked my pocket, then that was about the time I stopped hitchhiking  away from the Roosters. Drank away the last of my money and found myself in the alley behind the bar Jack and her coworkers frequented. I didn't know what city I was in. Too drunk to care. I do remember some guy standing over me saying 'Figures the one I need to restart everything just invites himself.'  Then the angel that I don't deserve comes in the form of Jack telling the guy to fuck off."

Jack shook her head, "Still not sure what possessed me to let you crash at my place that night."

Ryan's breathy laughter coupled well with Los Santos' number one crime boss whining, "Aw Jack you don't mean that."

"Sure she does boss," Michael said with his gunfire laughter. "You're like a stray cat."

"No," Geoff's voice rose an octave as he argued. "That would be you and Ray. You guys broke into our safehouse and treated it like it was yours."

"Well that's where the bus dropped me off."

"What bus?" Jeremy asked.

"I didn't want to stay in Jersey. The Families have no room for a kid with a temper and penchant for explosives. So I packed my backpack and got on a Greyhound. Kept sneaking onto buses heading further west. Met Ray in Kansas and we decided to continue together. We even started pickpocketing at the stations before hoping on another. In Nevada we finally got caught by a driver.  He took one look at us, two scrawny kids with shadows in our eyes and on our bodies, and he told us if we promised to leave his patrons alone he would drop us off in a place where we could get a fresh start."

"But my safe house? How did the bus driver even know about it?"

Michael shrugged, "No idea. Ray and I weren't about to look a gift horse in the mouth. Besides everything worked so who cares?"

Wanting avoid the Geoff explosion he see building Jeremy piped up, "There's no story for me. Ryan invited me when Ray said you needed a second sniper for a heist."

At the mention of the former mercenary all eyes turn to the figure still standing by the window.   
"What about you Rye-bread? How'd a Georgian end up in the most crime ridden city in California?" Gavin leaned forward in aniticpation when he asked. Even after all these years, the Vagabond still kept so many secrets

Ryan turned his gaze out at the darkened city. The constant glow that seemed to exist even during a total blackout cast eerie shadows along the contours of his unpainted face.

"Long before the Spanish arrived, before the prospectors and trappers, the San Andreas area was home to Epanel tribes. The Imanu tribe inhabited the land we now know as the city and called it _Chìpile Shaunke,_ Dangerous and Strange Water's Edge. Mt Chiliad was called _Memsiat Ahchu_ and they believed it was home to a _manëtu_ or spirit who loved to wander and cause chaos. According to the legend they told the Spanish while the _manëtu_ would not interfere with daily life every so often it would decide to change the status quo. Certain people were invited to become the _manëtu's_ emissaries and cause just enough chaos to turn the villages on their heads. If the chosen ones succeeded to its liking, it would grant them great fortune and eternity in the _Hakihakàn Takhwìkàmëna_. However, should they fail or act contrary to the _manëtu's_ wishes misfortune and most often death would follow. _A Chìpile Shaunke, ku memsiat manëtu, ku mpa ku nta_. In Los Santos without the wandering spirit there is no way in no way out." As he spoke the last two sentences Ryan's blue eyes glowed brighter practically shining in the darkness of the night.

Before anyone could be sure the lights turned on. Ryan turned back to them and with a small smile exited the room. "I'm getting a diet coke."

The rest of the crew could only stare after him. Jeremy was the one to break the silence this time, "He didn't actually answer, did he?"

"Ryan likes to keep this close to the chest. We just need to respect it like we always have." Jack responded logically despite the slight quiver to her voice.

Geoff nodded a little too quickly, "Right. Uh, we'll pick this up tomorrow."  
Everyone agreed but none stood to leave. They just started out to the city below.

**Author's Note:**

> *Firm is a name often used for British organized crime. Similar to Mafia or mob.
> 
> While the Chumash people populated the real San Andreas area, I based my tribes on the Lenape (hence the unimaginative Epanel). Their language is more readily available and I grew up learning about them.
> 
> Hakihakàn Takhwìkàmëna loosely translates to Garden of Shadows.


End file.
